Film critics as a barometer to judge movies are dead

Of course, ever since all the publications went woke they turned to shit. Before that they were a pretty good guide.

I’ve never listened to critics; I’m normally a pretty good judge of what I’m going to like, although I have had some surprises occasionally.

Who gives a rat's ass what some paid critic says about a movie - I assume they are all paid off.

For me, you find a movie on your own or those people around you recommend something.

In my time I have reviewed hundreds of movies, and many of those pieces I then copied over to the old IMDb. In my opinion critics are like anyone else in that they have their fads, prejudices and preferences, and can make mistakes. But that is not a reason to consider the views of a professional worthless, just not the last word.

No. I don't agree.

I'd agree that it's up to individuals to judge films for themselves. But the idea that a general audience reaction to a film is any gauge of its quality is faintly absurd to me. 'This film is popular, therefore it's good' is obvious nonsense. You have no idea who is in that audience. All a film's popularity with a general audience tells us is that it's popular with a general audience.

In all areas of life, I trust the opinions of people who know more over people who know less. This may mean professional film critics (as long as their sensibility somewhat matches my own), it may be amateur critics or people on film forums. But I'd never trust the 'wisdom of crowds' or popular taste or box office or any of those related concepts. I care more about critics than I care about what Joe Schmoe thinks. Joe Schmoe has terrible taste.

Sorry.

No, David Stratton and Margaret Pomeranz are both very much alive.

I don’t really agree with your premise anyway. For me reading reviews isn’t about a need to be told what to think of a film. I enjoy talented writers and I think there can be insights gained from reading a balanced, well-written review. I’ll still make up my own mind, and often I might disagree with critical consensus, but I’m not so arrogant that I believe my opinion is more valid than someone who analyses film as an occupation and may be somewhat more knowledgeable about the medium than myself.

Maybe so.
I loved the great film critic Roger Ebert even though he seemed unfair to horror and action movies that I loved. I thought Ebert was thoughtful and quite smart, I miss him quite a lot.

YOU should be the only critic you care to listen to after all is said and done.

iIdon't think so.

I think a metacritic score or the rt average critic rating (not the rt%, which i think is not very useful) tell you something.

It's not the final authority on a movie or whether i'm going to like it.

But it's still a useful filter for sorting out whether i might be interested in something.